Automobile agricultural machine.



No. 658,347. Patented Sept. 25, I900. w.- F. CROWLEY.

AUTOMOBILE AGRICULTURAL MACHINE.

(Application filed Mar. 20, 1900.)

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Patented Sept. 25, I900.

W. F. CROWLEY.

AUTOMOBILE AGRICULTURAL MACHINE.

(Application filed Mgr; 20, 1900.

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(No Model.)

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N l TED STATES PATENT OFFIC AUTOMOBILE AGRICULTURAL MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 658,347, datedSeptember 25, 1900.

Application filed March 20, 1900. Serial No. 9,356. (No model.)

To all whom, it nzay concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM FRANK CRoW at Holly, Prowers county,Colorado, have in-v vented a new and useful Automobile AgriculturalMachine, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to automobile agricultural machines; and one objectis to provide a machine carrying its own propelling power and adapted tobe provided with seed planting,cu1tivating, or harvestingappliances, andwhich is under such perfect control of the operator seated thereon thatit may be compelled to readily follow any curvatures or irregularitiesin the shape or configuration of the field.

A further object is to provide a machine of this character Which is ofsimple, strong, durable, and comparativelyinexpensive construction.

WVith these objects in view the invention consists in certain novel andpeculiar features of construction and combinationsof parts, as

will be hereinafterdescribed and claimed, and in order that it maybe'fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings,in which-- Figure 1 is a top plan view of an automobile agriculturalmachine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinalsection of the same. section of the same. Fig. 4 is a detail viewillustrating the mechanism for throwing one or the other of thecarrying-Wheels in or out of gear with the propelling power when guidingthe machine to the right or left. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section of theturn-table and disclosing the upper half of the same in an invertedposition. Fig. 6 is a similar view showing the upper side of the lowerhalf of the turn-table. Fig. 7 is an inverted. plan view of the frontend of the reach-bar.

Referring to the drawings in detail, Where correspondingreference-numerals designate like parts in all the figures, l designatesthe rear axle,and 2 the supporting-wheels thereof.

3 designates the reach-bar, secured at its rear end to the axle midwayits length and formed, preferably, of channel-iron, and provided with apivot-hole 4, and a pair of holes 5 at opposite sides of the pivot-hole.A bearing-sleeve 6 registers with the pivot-hole and Fig. 3 is avertical transverse is secured to the under side of the reach-bar toreinforce the same. A pairof bearing-boxes 7 are secured to the underside of the reach bar at opposite sides of the openings 5, and mountedupon shafts 8, journaled in said 11 designates the axle of the frontWheels 12. A horizontal frame mounted on said axle consists of a pair oflongitudinal bars 13, a cross-bar 14 connecting their front ends and apair of cross-bars 15 connecting their rear ends, and secured to andprojecting rearwardly from said frame, as shown (see Fig. 2)

'or in any other suitable manner, is a turntable comprisingsubstantially semicircular upper and lower members 16 17, provided withholes 18, registering with the pivot-hole 4 of the reach-bar, fittingsnugly between said turntable members. Saidmembers are connected,preferably, by the integral connecting-ribs 19 (see Figs. 5 and 6) andare pivotally secured to the reach-bar by means of the bolt 20,extending down through the registering holes 4 and 18, and engaged atits lower end by a retaining-nut 21.

The turn-table is provided Withsemicircular tracks 22 for continuousengagement with the rearmost roller 9 of the reach-bar and withsemicircular tracks 23 for continuous engagement with the foremostroller 9, as shown clearly in Fig. 2.

In order that the operatorupon seat 24 at the rear end of the reach-barmay co11ven-, .iently guide the machine, the upper member of theturn-table by preference is provided with a semicircular rack 25,engaged by a bevel-pinion 26, mounted on the front end of inclined shaft27, journaled in standards 28 upon the reach-bar, said shaft beingturned in one direction or the other by means of the hand-wheel 29uponits rearend, and mounted also upon the reach-bar at a convenientpoint is the transverse barBO, from which suitable seed planting,cultivating, or harvesting appliances may be suspended; but as theparticular appliances used for planting, cultivating, or harvesting haveno special connection or relation to the operative parts of this machinethey have been omitted.

Superposed with relation to the frame mounted upon the front axle is asecond frame, comprising side bars 31, front end bar 32, and rear endbar 33, the latter carrying centrally a pin 34, upon the rear end ofwhich is journaled a trip-wheel 35, having a peripheral notch 36 toreceive the pin or prolongation of the shaft 8, carried by the reachbar,for a purpose which will hereinafter appear. 37 designates a shaftjournaled in the boxings 38, secured to said superposed frame, andjournaled upon its ends are clutch members 39, provided withsprocket-wheels 40,condenied by sprocket chains 41 with the largesprocket-wheels 42, secured rigidly to front wheels 12 in any suitablemanner. Clutch members 43, companion to clutches 39 and adapted to slidewithout independent rotation upon the shaft 37, are held normally inengagement with said clutches 39 by means of springs 44, spirallyencircling the shaft and bearing at their opposite ends against saidsliding clutches, and plates 45, secured to said superposed frame.Clutches 43, usual, are provided with annular grooves 46 and with bands47, mounted therein and provided with oppositely-projecting pivot-pins48, engaging the longitudinal slots 49 in forked levers 50, pivoted attheir lower ends, as at 51, to brackets secured to the cross-bar 33 ofthe superposed t'rame. The upper ends of the forked levers are connectedby cross-bars 52, linked, as at 53, to the crank-arms of shafts 54,journaled in brackets 55, secured to said superposed frame, saidrock-shafts being formed with eyes or loops 56 at their lower ends,through which slidingly. project the rods 57, pivoted at their innerends to the trip-wheel 35 and provided at suitable points with thecollars 58, the latter being adapted when motion is imparted to the rodsby the trip-wheel to strike the looped ends of the rock-shafts and byoperating the latter throw one sliding clutch member or the other out ofengagement with the companion clutch, as and for a purpose hereinaftermore fully explained.

Secured rigidly upon shaft 37, within the superposed frame,isasprocket-wheel 59, connected by achain 60 to the small sprocketwheel 61upon the crank-shaft 62 of a gasengine 63. The crank-shaft of thegas-engine by preference carries a fly or balance Wheel 0'4 at each end,and the engine is cast with flanges 65 to bear up against the under sideof the superposed frame and with flanges 66 to bear against the innerside of the superposed frame and be secured thereto by bolts 67, thoughit is to be understood that the engi" e may be secured upon the machinein any suitable manner without affecting the merit of the invention, 1having simply illustrated what I deem the most compact and convenientway of securing it in position. It has not been attempted, of course, toillustrate the detail construction of the engine or the necessaryappurtenances for its effective operation, as these form no part of myinven tion.

In practice, assuming that the engine is in operation and that themachine is moving forward in a straight line, it will be understood thatthe parts are in the position shown most clearly in Fig. 3,with bothsets of clutch members in gear, and consequently both wheels 12 tendingto advance the machine. Supposing now the operator desires to turn themachine to the right, he grasps the handwheel 29 and turns it in thecorresponding direction, so that the pin or projection 10, (see Figs. 2and 7,) engaging the notch 36 of trip-wheel 35, will turn the latter inthe dir c'ipn indicated by the arrow, Fig. 4, until said pin orprojection becomes disengaged therewith. At the instant the trip-wheelis turned, as explained and illustrated, one of the rods 57 is partiallywithdrawn through the eye or loop of its engaged rock-shaft, while theother advancing causes its collar 58 to strike the lower end of itscorresponding rock-shaft and by rocking the latter swing the forkedlever linked thereto to the position shown in Fig. at, therebywithdrawing the connected clutch member from engagement with itscompanion clutch 39, the result of which is to throw the wheel 12 at thecorresponding side out of gear with the engine and throw all the work ofpropelling the machine on the wheel at the left-hand side. As aconsequence the right-hand wheel remains practically stationary and actsas a pivot around which the left-hand wheel turns the forward part ofthe machine in an obvious manner. wheel is effected the operator maycontinue the manipulation of the hand-wheel if he desires to effect acomparatively short turn; but if the turn is to be gradual he holds itstationary until the machine is started in the proper direction, andthen brings the rear part back in line by'reversing the operation of thehand-wheel. As this is done the pin or projection 10 reenters the notch36 and to tates the trip-wheel back to its original position-namely,until the notch is vertically below the axis of the wheel. In theturning operation it will be obvious that the turntable turns under theaction of the pinion 26, the latter successively engaging the teeth ofthe rack 25. The machine may be caused to After the operation of thetrip- 7 run backward, of course, by simply reversing the engine in thecustomary manner.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that I have produced a machinepossessing the advantageous features enumerated as desir able, and whileI have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention it is to be understood that I reserve the right to make suchchanges in the detail construction, form, arrangement, or proportion ofthe parts as properly fall within the spirit and scope of the appendedclaims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a machine of the character described, a wheeled frame, comprisingtwo parts pivoted together, an engine mounted 'upon one part and gearedto the wheels thereof, a tripwheel mounted on the last-named part of theframe, and a pin or projection from the other part, adapted under thepivotal movement of one part to rock said trip-wheel and thereby throwone wheel or the other out of engagement with the engine, substantiallyas described.

2. In a machine of the character described, a wheeled frame, comprisingtwo parts pivoted together, an engine mounted upon one part and gearedto the wheels thereof, a tripwheel mounted on the last-named part of theframe, a shaft adapted to be turned by hand mounted upon one part of themachine and geared to the other to turn the latter, a projection fromthe frame to rock said trip-wheel as the turning operation is inprogress, and connections whereby the operation of the trip-wheel throwsthe engine out of gear with one of its connected Wheels or the other,substantially as described.

3. In a machine of the character described, a wheeled frame comprisingtwo parts pivoted together, one part being provided with a semicircularrack-bar concentrically with the pivotal point, a shaft on the otherpart adapted to be turned by hand and provided with a cog-pinion engagedby said rack, an engine mounted upon the part provided with the rack-barand geared to the wheels of said bar, and means for throwing one or theother of said wheels out of gear with the engine, as the machine beginsto turn substantially as described.

4. In a machine of the character described, a wheeled frame, comprisingtwo parts, one provided with a turn-table having tracks, and the otherwith a reach-bar pivoted to said turn-table and provided with rollersfor traveling on said tracks, an engine mounted upon the turn-table partand geared to the Wheels thereof, and means for turning one partpivotally on the other, and for throwing the engine out of gear with oneof said wheels or the other, substantially as described.

5. In a machine of the character described, a wheeled frame comprisingtwo parts, one provided with a two-part turn-table having tracks, andthe other with a reach-bar pivthereof, and means for turning one partpivotally on the other, and for throwing the engine out of gear with oneof said wheels or the other, substantially as described.

6. In a machine of the character described, a wheeled frame, comprisingtwo parts pivoted together, one having a notched tripwheel, and theother a pin to engage said notch and trip the wheel as the machinebegins to turn, an engine mounted upon one part, a shaft journaled uponthe same part and geared thereto, clutch members journaled upon saidshaft and geared to the wheels of said part, springactuated clutchmembers keyed to slide but not rotate on said shaft and engaging thefirst-named clutch members, levers engaging said slidable clutchmembers, and instrumentalities between the trip-wheel and said leverswhereby the operation of said wheel will cause one of said levers towithdraw the connected slidable clutch members from engagement with thecompanion clutch members, substantially as described.

7. In a machine of the character described, a wheeled frame, comprisingtwo parts pivoted together, one having a notched tripwheel, and theother a pin to engage the notch of and trip said wheel as the machinebegins to turn, an engine mounted upon one part,a shaft jou rnaled uponthe same part and geared to the engine, clutch members journaled uponsaid shaft and geared to the wheels of said part, spring-actuated clutchmembers keyed to slide but not rotate on said shaft and engaging thefirst-named clutch members, levers engaging said slidable clutchmembers, rock-shafts linked to said members, and rods pivotallyconnected to the trip-wheel and having a sliding connection with saidrockshafts, and provided with collars adapted in the outward movement ofsaid rods to rock said rock-shafts, substantially as described. Intestimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM FRANK CROWLEY.

Witnesses:

HENRY L. J OHNSON,

J. B. HARDEN.

IOO

